Age may be just a number, but for 16-year-old Andrew Schnell, that number seems to be a focus.
Schnell is one of three 16-year-olds on the junior men's national squash team, showing he is not the only young talent, but is one of the most promising squash talents in Calgary.
"I'm kind of nervous," said Schnell. "But I'm very excited and prepared to play the best that I can."
Schnell will join fellow Calgarian, 19-year-old Kelly Shannon, and the rest of the five-player team in Zurich, Switzerland for the junior men's squash world championships July 27 to Aug. 7.
"It will be great to compare to the world's best," said Schnell. "To compete and beat them hopefully."
Though quite young for the U19 tournament, which normally features players 18 years of age, Schnell has the credentials to be on the roster.
He was the first Albertan to win the U-17 Scottish Open, which he did at the end of December last year. He also placed third at the Canadian junior championships, as well as placing second in the U. S. junior championships.
His most recent competition saw him place ninth in the British Open in January.
"He's fast," says Jonathan Hill, Schnell's personal coach at the World Health Club for the last two years, as well as the head coach of the junior national team. "He has good body control and he's the kind of player that will go in to every game with the same mentality . . . he's relentless."
Schnell, who also trains at the Glencoe Club, has been playing squash for almost a decade but has been on the national radar since he was barely a teenager.
The selection process for the team takes approximately two years, while the championships are held every two years.
This team of two 18-year-olds and three 16-year-olds -- all from Alberta and Ontario -- has been watched over the last four years. Their results and rankings have factored in, allowing them to be in the final eight. From there, players are watched in different Canadian and U.S. tournaments, narrowing the roster to the best five.
It is hard to pinpoint one specific reason for success, but Schnell will say the fact he's been home-schooled since Grade 1 has definitely helped him out and allow him to have more time for his sport. "It's benefited my squash and my squash has benefitted my homeschooling," said Schnell. "(They both require) a lot of dedication and determination."
Those attributes have led Schnell not only to one junior world championships, but likely another. In two years, he will still be eligible to make the team, and with the kind of experience he is likely to gain in Switzerland, his name on the roster is essentially a given.
"He's really made a name for himself on the international stage," said Hill. "In my mind, he's one of the most exciting to watch."
Schnell, who also trains at the 
